and mothers. Don't I
know ye? A man's only chance is to get ye scared of him, or give ye
somebody else to tell tales on--and that's what I've done."

He turned his attention once more to Andy and Jeff, and left the old man
staring aghast, plucking at his beard.

"I've bought me a good team, an' I'm goin' to move my plunder out of
here," he told them. "I've done picked me a fine place over yon," jerking
his head vaguely in the direction of the Far Cove. "Every stick and
ravellin' that belongs to me I'll take, exceptin' the run of whiskey that
I'll leave in the still here for to make the marshal shore he's got the
right thing. You might expect him any time to-morrow. Old Gid here will
lead him in, or Scalf, and the testimony they stand ready to give means
penitentiary to you two."

"I reckon you-all won't deny that you have made many a run of blockaded
whiskey right here in this cave," put in Scalf, nervously.

"That's so--that's so, boys, I've seed ye many a time," whimpered Gideon
Rust, almost beside himself with terror. "I hope ye won't hold it ag'in
us that we he'ped to have ye took instead of Blatch here. Blatch is a
hard man to deal with--he's been too much fer me--and hit wouldn't do you
all no manner of good ef he was took along with ye. I don't see that yo'
any worse off ef he goes free."

The twins looked at each other and forebore to reply. Blatch moved over
to Scalf, and after some muttered parley with the town partner strode
away into the dark. Scalf himself waited only long enough to be sure that
Blatch had left, then slipped away, posting the old man down the path as
lookout.

Alone in the cave, it was long before either boy spoke. Then came a rush
of angry comment and bitter reflection which interrogated the situation
from all sides, tending always to the conclusion that it was mighty hard,
when a man had given up his evil courses, when he had just joined the
church and was about to get married, to have the whole ugly score to pay.
They sat cramped and miserable in their splint-bottomed chairs and the
hours wore away till dawn in this dismal converse. Pappy was right--he
was mighty right. If they ever got out of this--But there, Blatch wasn't
apt to make a failure.

It was broad daylight when at last Blatch Turrentine brought his team up
and as close to the cave's mouth as he dared. It was loaded already with
a considerable amount of furniture and clothing from the cabin, and he
climbed down the s